Study of A Sleeping Beauty
by Tha1n0nlYVoyGirl
Summary: Tom is to deliver a PADD to the Chief Engineer. Just typical he can't take himself out of her quarters when once there. Set before "Day of Honor"


Title: Study of A Sleeping Beauty  
Author: Voy_Girl  
Pairing: P/T  
POV: Tom  
Summary: The delivery of a PADD leads to some one-way contemplating.  
Dedicated to: The gang from the late Matchmaker's.  
Written: 13-14/12 2002   
Story type: The comp says this story consisting of exactly 1000 words... A suitable vignette,  
that is.   
  
*****************************  
  
Study of A Sleeping Beauty  
  
**  
  
Tom took a firmer hold around the PADD in his hand, like it was his last life-insurance.  
Technically he was in enemy land. On parole in enemy land.   
He'd been given a temporary access code to B'Elanna Torres' quarters. Not by the Captain,  
not the Doctor; but by the Majesty of Engineering herself.  
  
Though it was only temporary, and he was only supposed to leave a report she needed as quick  
as possible, as soon as he'd typed the last letter on the PADD. Preferably even before that.  
He should leave that, and remove himself fast as light.   
  
It was a big task for him, since it proved she carried a seed for trust in him.   
  
Tom hoped for the code to be temporarily temporare, almost didn't dare to hope for the same  
code as B'Elanna herself keyed in every day and night. If he some time would, he imagined  
he'd use it time after time, over and over again, until the panel next to her door needed to be  
changed, due to it being too worn to work. For the hundredth time.   
  
But first, he needed to let their fresh friendship rest and mature to finally grow. Until it was a  
full-blown sunflower, the best example there was. It would reach towards its first namesake;  
the sun.   
Then, and only then, Tom would be completely at easy with the new bond between the two of  
them.   
  
Friendship was what they both craved, feeling no need to bungee jump into another pointless  
romance.   
Not until Tom would be so deeply in love that he couldn't take a step away with his back  
turned to that woman, without a thousand knives of pain cutting his heart open. That would be  
real love.   
  
*  
  
Tom's thoughts wandered as he moved deeper within B'Elanna's castle.   
  
There laid a sense of calm in the air, a mist of peace. A rather unexpected feature in a fiery  
Klingon's hide-out.  
  
The mood wrapped him in, and without knowing why, Tom walked as quietly as possible  
through her living room.   
  
The lights were set to half-illumination every where, a musty aroma of foreign candles  
hovering above him; floating around him. Soothing within.   
  
Tom looked for a good place, or any place, to leave his PADD so he could leave without being  
forced to disturb the serenity he felt so caught in.   
  
Every where there were other PADDs, among blueprints and other scattered items. B'Elanna  
would never find his PADD mixed with dozens of others in that mess.  
  
Paris moved, ever so slowly, to the doorway to her bedroom. It was the only place he had left  
to look for her, or an empty, protruding spot to lay the PADD.   
  
*  
  
B'Elanna was home, after all. But still not contactable. She slept. Not audible, but Tom could  
tell by the rhythmic heaves of her chest. Such grace could only be given be sleep.  
  
She laid on her stomach, a blanket wrapped around her waist and back. It was about to slip off  
her tanktop-covered shoulders, and Tom quickly suppressed a strong urge to pull it up again.   
  
Her face was buried in the pillow, her both arms hidden underneath the downy bundle.   
Since she'd wrapped the thin blanket around her several times, her uniformed legs were  
uncovered. From Tom's view at the head of her bed, they formed an unconventional 'V', as  
they were stretched over the still made bed.  
  
There had surely been a rough day for her down in engineering.   
  
In the bedroom it was, if possible, even more soothing. Tom felt misplaced being so stressed  
and bewildered. He forced himself to stop staring at her, since he would feel a bit awkward if  
she suddenly would jerk awake.   
  
*  
  
The bedroom table lacked PADDs occupying it, so Tom turned to put his report there. She  
would be able to see it immediately as she woke up from her angelic slumber.   
On the table was only a hardbound book of Klingon work. The title was written on the original  
language, but he tried to memorize it to translate it later.   
  
He carefully placed the PADD on top of the book, but was reluctant to withdraw his hand. A  
part of him wanted to remain in the center of calmness, next to B'Elanna.   
After a second's pursue with himself, Tom decided it was time for him to finally leave after  
minutes of misused privilege.   
  
Tom allowed himself to glance at her sleeping form one more time, her tousled hair bewitching  
his eyes temporarily. His chest filled with fluffy cotton for a second, and when it had dissolved  
again, he found the strength to move.  
  
He pattered to the doorway as quiet as when he'd arrived. Sneak in. Sneak out. Never let  
anyone know that you've been there; or that you will return.   
  
*  
  
As he put one hand on the doorframe, a fragile but sharp pain shot through him. Like someone  
had put a rusty knife in him and twisted for king and country.  
He stood blinded for a moment, swaying helplessly bewildered. When it ceased, Tom realized  
he'd brought one hand to the left side of his chest, while the other one still rested heavily  
against the doorframe, supporting him as strong matter.  
  
Tom bit his lip and forced himself to look at B'Elanna again. He wanted the pink cotton to  
return and heal him from the inside, but it never appeared.  
  
A second later, he stumbled out of the room, a bit louder than he truly could control. He  
suppressed the shot of pain accompanying him, knowing how wrong it was.  
  
'The sunflower has to grow first!' He desperately said to himself, leaving B'Elanna's  
residence.   
'But maybe after that...'  
  
*¤*¤*  
Fin  
*¤*¤*  
  
Feedback: frky_vg@kittymail.com 


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